Turn your trash into cash as city-wide recycling scheme gets underway

Volunteers sort through tonnes of donated goods during last year's Bristol Big Give

Press release issued:
28 April 2015

People across the city are being invited to turn their trash into cash for charity when the Bristol Big Give gets underway next month. Although the collection and recycling scheme has been solely targeted at students in the past, it’s being widened out to the whole community from 1 May.

Twenty temporary British Heart Foundation clothing banks will be placed in publically accessible locations across Bishopston, Redland, Cotham and Clifton until 7 July.

The city-wide collection and recycling scheme raised an impressive £200,000 for local and national charities last year as 88 tons of reusable goods were donated and sold.

Goods donated included kitchenware, bedding clothes, food, sports equipment and books – the vast majority being collected from students living in halls of residence.

Bristol Big Give is a joint initiative from Bristol City Council, the University of Bristol, the University of Bristol Students’ Union (Bristol SU), the University of the West of England and UWE Students’ Union (UWESU).

It targets students who will start thinking about moving out of halls or their privately rented housing next month and is part of the Love Where You Live campaign which helps to build relationships between the student body and the local community, as well as improving sustainability in the city.

Amy Walsh, Bristol SU’s Student Green Fund Project Coordinator, said: “Every year Bristol students increasingly want to dispose of their unwanted items responsibly and the Bristol Big Give means they can raise money for local charities at the same time.

“Last year was record-breaking for the campaign and we hope that this year we can divert even more reusable waste from landfill by encouraging the local community to join forces with our students and donate their unwanted things too.”